President Michael D Higgins has said that it is now “abundantly clear that Ireland has become a very diverse society and will remain so”.
Addressing guests at the presentation to winners of this year’s Show Racism The Red Card Creative Competition in Dublin recently, the President added that the manner in which society adapts to this change “will determine and define our Irishness and the type of Ireland we become”.
President Higgins described diversity as “a source of richness” and noted that “innovative and original thinking can emerge” from “genuine engagement with diverse voices”.
He added: “For this to happen we must go beyond simply tolerating, acknowledging or accepting diversity, of course, and work for the kind of society where each citizen realise their unique potential and contribute meaningfully to society.”
Highlighting some of the negative treatment of some members of the black community and the Traveller people, President Higgins said racism has no place in Ireland and should not be tolerated. He also recognised that racism can express itself “through the policies and services of our institutions when they fail to accommodate and respond appropriately to the needs of a particular section of a population.”
Referring to a study by Pavee Point in 2011, he added: “We know, for instance, that our education system of old has not, in general, served Traveller children well. Seventy-seven per cent of Traveller children have no qualification beyond primary school, compared to a national rate of 18.9 per cent, and less than 4.1 per cent of Travellers finish secondary school.
“These important indicators reveal a significant public policy failure and suggest an unacceptable level of intolerance that exists in our society, but they do not tell us of the human damage caused: the damage to dignity, self worth, and the damage done to a person’s sense of pride and identity.”
The President encouraged people across Ireland who are fighting against racism to continue to do. Referring to the Show Racism the Red Card Creative Competition in particular, he said it is a very important initiative that “seeks to embed respect for the value of each individual at the heart of our interactions, at the heart of our society.”
He continued: “We must all work together to create an Ireland in which diversity is genuinely celebrated and difference is not just tolerated but welcomed as the foundation of a just society, rich in creative potential.”
Over 120 schools and youth services took part in this year’s competition, won by pupils from St Eunan’s National School in Raphoe, Co Donegal for their mosaic of signed cards from high-profile people, including international soccer star Shay Given and Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
The President commented that the programme has enriched all those who participate, enabling them to understand “when racism is occurring and to take practical steps against it.
“It also helps participants to reflect on their own attitudes towards diversity and to become more conscious and self aware of their values, beliefs and behaviours.”
